Alcohol use among Australian parents during the COVID-19 pandemic - April-2020 to May 2021.

AIMS: This study examined the trajectory of alcohol use frequency among parents from April-2020 to May-2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic in the state of Victoria, Australia (who experienced one of the longest lockdowns in the world), compared to parents from the other states of Australia (who experienced relatively fewer restrictions). We further examined the extent to which baseline demographic factors were associated with changes in alcohol use trajectories among parents. METHOD: Data were from the COVID-19 Pandemic Adjustment Survey (2,261 parents of children 0-18 years). Alcohol use frequency was assessed over 13 waves. Baseline demographic predictors included parent gender, age, speaking a language other than English, number of children, partnership status, education, employment, and income. RESULTS: Overall, alcohol trajectories declined over time. Victorian parents, in comparison to parents from other states, reported a smaller reduction in alcohol use frequency across 2020, with a more notable decline during 2021. Female/other gender, speaking a language other than English at home, unemployment, and lower income (Victoria only) were associated with alcohol trajectories of less frequent use, and older age was associated with a trajectory of more frequent use. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest subtle difference in alcohol trajectories reflecting COVID-19 restrictions, when comparing Victoria and other states in Australia. Socioeconomically advantaged groups were most at risk for elevated trajectories of alcohol use frequency. Population level support may beneficial to reduce drinking behaviours.

Psychosocial predictors of binge-drinking residual harm in adolescence and young adulthood: Findings from the Australian Temperament Project.

AIMS: We examine the extent to which adolescent and young adult psychosocial factors are associated with variation in the experience of common types of harm (e.g., injuries, violence, sexual regrets) with respect to binge-drinking frequency - termed residual harm. METHODS: Data were from the Australian Temperament Project, a population-based cohort study that has followed a sample of young Australians from infancy to adulthood since 1983. The current sample comprised 1,081 (565 women). Residual harm was operationalised by saving residuals from models regressing number of alcohol harms onto binge-drinking frequency at each of 5 waves, two in adolescence (15-16 and 17-18 years) and three in young adulthood (19-20, 23-24, and 27-28 years). Psychosocial factors (mental health, social skills, quality of parent and peer relationships) were assessed prior to binge drinking in early adolescence (13-14 years) and then again in young adulthood (19-20 years). RESULTS: Adolescent predictors of decreased residual harm were lower depressive symptoms, and higher cooperation, self-control, and peer and parent attachment. Young adult predictors of decreased residual harm were lower depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms and peer and parent negative appraisal, and higher responsibility, and peer and parent emotional support. Associations were evident in males and females, although the strength of some associations diminished with age. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents and young adults with better mental health, social skills, and relationship quality experienced less harm with respect to their binge-drinking frequency. Future research should examine the potential of investment in strength-based interventions for young people.

Exploring a causal model in observational cohort data: The role of parents and peers in shaping substance use trajectories.

AIMS: To explore the process of applying counterfactual thinking in examining causal determinants of substance use trajectories in observational cohort data. Specifically, we examine the extent to which quality of the parent-adolescent relationship and affiliations with deviant peers are causally related to trajectories of alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis use across adolescence and into young adulthood. METHODS: Data were drawn from the Australian Temperament Project, a population-based cohort study that has followed a sample of young Australians from infancy to adulthood since 1983. Parent-adolescent relationship quality and deviant peer affiliations were assessed at age 13-14 years. Latent curve models were fitted for past month alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis use (n = 1590) from age 15-16 to 27-28 years (5 waves). Confounding factors were selected in line with the counterfactual framework. RESULTS: Following confounder adjustment, higher quality parent-adolescent relationships were associated with lower baseline cannabis use, but not alcohol or tobacco use trajectories. In contrast, affiliations with deviant peers were associated with higher baseline binge drinking, tobacco, and cannabis use, and an earlier peak in the cannabis use trajectory. CONCLUSIONS: Despite careful application of the counterfactual framework, interpretation of associations as causal is not without limitations. Nevertheless, findings suggested causal effects of both parent-adolescent relationships and deviant peer affiliations on the trajectory of substance use. Causal effects were more pervasive (i.e., more substance types) and protracted for deviant peer affiliations. The exploration of causal relationships in observational cohort data is encouraged, when relevant limitations are transparently acknowledged.

A comparison of longitudinal modelling approaches: Alcohol and cannabis use from adolescence to young adulthood.

BACKGROUND: Modelling trajectories of substance use over time is complex and requires judicious choices from a number of modelling approaches. In this study we examine the relative strengths and weakness of latent curve models (LCM), growth mixture modelling (GMM), and latent class growth analysis (LCGA). DESIGN: Data were drawn from the Australian Temperament Project, a 36-year-old community-based longitudinal study that has followed a sample of young Australians from infancy to adulthood across 16 waves of follow-up since 1983. Models were fitted on past month alcohol use (n = 1468) and cannabis use (n = 549) across six waves of data collected from age 13-14 to 27-28 years. FINDINGS: Of the three model types, GMMs were the best fit. However, these models were limited given the variance of numerous growth parameters had to be constrained to zero. Additionally, both the GMM and LCGA solutions had low entropy. The negative binomial LCMs provided a relatively well-fitting solution with fewer drawbacks in terms of growth parameter estimation and entropy issues. In all cases, model fit was enhanced when using a negative binomial distribution. CONCLUSIONS: Substance use researchers would benefit from adopting a complimentary framework by exploring both LCMs and mixture approaches, in light of the relative strengths and weaknesses as identified. Additionally, the distribution of data should inform modelling decisions.

Magnesium sulfate effects on coliform bacteria reduction in the intestines, ceca, and carcasses of broiler chickens.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of MgSO4 on intestinal and cecal content reduction with subsequent effects on carcass weight loss and coliform bacterial counts in the intestine and ceca, and on the processed carcass. Four hundred and eighty broiler chicks, 49 days of age, were fed MgSO4 at levels of 0, 2.5, 4.0, 5.5, 7.0, and 8.5 g/L via drinking water 24 h before processing. Samples from the intestinal and cecal contents and swabs from the processed carcass surface were plated for coliform bacteria colonization. The results indicated that carcass weight loss was not affected significantly by MgSO4, irrespective of the levels fed. The mean dressing percentage of the treated chicks was 64.9% compared with 65.2% for the controls. Although the reduction in the intestinal contents was not significant, the coliform bacterial counts declined from 1.4 x 10(6) to 1.4 x 10(4), a reduction of 2 logs when the MgSO4 was administered at 5.5 g/L. However, both the cecal contents and coliform bacteria were reduced significantly when the birds were given 5.5 g/L of MgSO4. The reduction of the coliform bacteria in the ceca was significant when compared with the control, an approximate reduction of 3 logs. Also, the bacterial counts on the carcass surface were nonsignificantly reduced from 2.2 x 10(4) to 2 x 10(3), a 1-log reduction. Correlation coefficients showed that as the contents of the intestine decreased, the coliform bacterial counts in the ceca and on the carcass surface decreased.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)